Dubbed the retail capital of the world, Paramus will play host to millions of eager shoppers over the course of the holiday season – 3 million alone at Westfield Garden State Plaza, the borough’s largest mall.

Coming up are several of the busiest shopping days of the year, including Super Saturday, as the Saturday before Christmas is known.

Prep at the flagship shopping center involved an impressive 5.6 miles of garland, spun into custom wreathes and other décor; 727,750 LED lightbulbs, spreading cheer inside and out; and over 1 million crystals, decking mall halls in a magical glimmer, according to Plaza operators.

Paramus Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg and Mayor Rich LaBarbiera say they get together with mall operators starting in July or August to begin plotting out an action plan for November through mid-January – “busy season” for not only the malls, but the police department, Ehrenberg said.

During that time, Paramus’ census population of about 28,000 rises to as much as 300,000 daily, according to the chief. Cars clog highways and jockey for parking spaces. The sheer number of people cruising around town leads to a bump in traffic accidents and crime.

Data from the Paramus Police Department shows that motor vehicle crashes are up nearly 25 percent in December. Last year, 583 motor vehicle accidents were reported in December, compared to 450 in September.

Department data shows there were 88 incidents of theft reported in December 2016 versus 58 in September of that year. That disparity was less last year, with 82 reports in December and 78 in September.

Keeping things moving on the roads is crucial for the borough, which is criss-crossed by highways. The first line of defense is addressing vehicle flow on mall sites, LaBarbiera said. The next step is addressing traffic on feeders to those areas – namely Route 4 and Route 17 and roadways that feed to the thoroughfares.

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“We’re responsible outside the complex, they’re responsible inside the complex, when it comes to traffic,” Ehrenberg said. “We work hand-in-hand, and it actually runs pretty smoothly.”

LaBarbiera said the borough also makes sure to coordinate with the state on roadway projects, such as resurfacing Route 17 or Route 4, to make sure work is wrapped up, or the impact during peak shopping hours is minimal during the holidays.

LaBarbiera pointed to a change in shopping culture: many people take Uber or Lyft to avoid a crowded parking lot, he said.

Shoppers on Black Friday November 23, 2018 at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ.(Photo11: Jim Anness Photography LLC)

“It doesn’t take the car off the road, but it does save a parking spot, which means a person might be able to get to a spot sooner,” he said.

The malls also have a vested interest in moving people in and out as quickly as possible, LaBarbiera said.

To that end, Garden State Plaza now offers some reserved parking in parking decks, via the My Park app, along with a valet service at several entrances.

Security for theft and other threats is a high priority for the borough and shopping centers.

“As the years go on, the world is changing,” Ehrenberg said. “Different threats have come to the table and we have ramped up our internal security tremendously. We need to be ahead of it. You can never play catch up.”

Shoppers will see more police officers patrolling malls with K-9s and rifles, the chief said. Paramus gets assistance from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department during this time.

Less obvious are plainclothes undercover officers, patrolling parking lots and malls “looking to prevent crime ahead of time and be a quiet observer,” Ehrenberg said.

The chief declined to say how many extra officers are brought on during the holidays for security reasons, but said it’s a “tremendous amount.”

CLOSE

Big Santa officially returned to Garden State Plaza Mall, Thursday November 20, 2018 with cheers from those who waited to see Kris Kringle.
Kevin R. Wexler, NorthJersey

Fans of Blue Laws

And while some may say the malls and Paramus are missing out on revenue due to Bergen County’s infamous Blue Laws, LaBarbiera said Sunday closings are “the Holy Grail.”

“I’m one its biggest supporters and defenders,” he said. “When it comes to Paramus, there’s no option. It’s quality of life.”

The mayor said if Blue Laws weren’t in place, Paramus residents would have to pay more in property taxes to provide additional resources and emergency services that one extra day a week.

“Taxes would go up because of the increase of services needed, and property values would go down because of a reduced quality of life,” he said.

“For our department, it’s a huge cost savings,” he said. “We don’t have to over-staff on Sunday because it cuts down on the daytime population in Paramus significantly.”

The mayor also said the theory of finite disposable income comes into play: Just because shops are open one more day a week doesn’t mean they will make more money, he said — but they will incur greater operating costs.

For six days a week though, Paramus is happy to have the shoppers. LaBarbiera said Paramus is a “diverse community” with a 50/50 split of commercial and residential properties.

“We depend on the success of our retail properties,” LaBarbiera said. “It’s like the saying, ‘As goes GM, so goes the nation.’ In Paramus, as goes the Route 4 and 17 corridor, so goes our property taxes. The fact that people are coming here and shopping means our retail and commercial corridor continues to thrive.”